The conventional vertical blind system includes a single length elongate track having a series of either vertical blind vane carrier supports or a series of hanging supports. Further discussion will be had mostly about vertical blinds, for although the structures discussed herein can be utilized with a series of types of window coverings, the case where a control want is used to move the window covering across the window as well as to affect some other aspect of control, especially as by turning the wand to change the angle of vertical louvers, or other applied characteristics of the state of the window covering.
One arrangement which was employed to affect a positive close was set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,928 to the inventor of the instant invention and was entitled “MULTIPLE PULL ROD MULTIPLE VANE POSITIVE CLOSE CONTROL FOR A VERTICAL BLIND”, issued on Aug. 17, 2000, and is incorporated herein by reference. In this invention, a small magnet, typically having a cross or plus or (+) sectional shape was engaged into a lead carrier, especially where it was an end carrier, with the magnet engaging a metallic screw or rivet set located in a conventional end cap which was typically found at the end of a track supporting the carrier.
Factors affecting the performance of this arrangement includes the strength and positioning of the magnet, the compatibility of the metallic bolt with the end cap, as well as series of optional flat members which are used to support elongate structures within the track such as very long turning rods, etc. The system so disclosed not only provided some positive securing of the window cover, but provided up to three supporting flat members for cases where the track was long and where significantly long lengths of turning rod within the window covering and to prevent the sagging of and to support the turning rod. The use of the flat members also involved the use of an additional bolt in the carrier for engagement with a separate magnet in the flat member. As the flat members followed after the carrier, a series of placed screws in the head rail would engage upwardly projecting structures of the flat members and pick them away from the carrier one at a time to evenly distribute the flat members to support the turning rod.
The device thus outlined has the ability to perform closure at the center or ends of a window covering track. The employment of this structure required some alteration to the carrier, such as magnet insertion, bolt insertion for engaging the magnet of the flat member, often employing an additional flat member adjacent the end cap, and utilizing a two ended threaded rivet.
What is needed therefore is a system which can be more readily retrofitted onto existing carriers and window covering systems and which employs fewer parts. What is needed is a positive closure at the end of travel, coupled with an indication of such positive closure so that the user need not continue to try and insure that positive closure has occurred. In cases where the end of travel is against or adjacent a wall, non positive closure would cause the user to back the carrier up and again slide it with momentum against the end of the head rail.
Another concern is spacing adjacency from the end of the head rail. Where several flat members separate the end cap from the carrier, and especially where the carrier does not have some sort of carry around structure, a greater space is created between the carrier and the end cap which must be compensated for by a wall structure to shut out the light, or an extra covering louver behind which the carrier may be concealed. As such, a needed structure should allow the carrier to be fixed in as close a relation to the end cap as is possible, while giving the user a positive indication of fixation or lock, subject to the need for flat members to support an especially long internal turning rod. What is therefore also needed is a manner of forming positive closure in order that vertical blinds may be closed securely, exactly and precisely with regularity. The closure mechanism should be highly integratable with existing track systems and vertical blind carriers. The system may provide for a distributed system of support which will support any tendency of the rotation rod to sag. The system should provide positive feedback to the operator that the blinds are securely closed.